to report «iusnews»;Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned that the United States, as the main supporter of Israel, will face grave consequences if hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which has entered its second month, are not brought to an end.
“Our advice to the Americans is to immediately stop this war and implement a ceasefire, otherwise they will be hit hard,” Brig. Gen. Ashtiani said on Sunday.
“We have always recommended the Americans not to support the Zionist regime,” he added.
The remarks came as US military bases and personnel in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly come under drone and missile attacks since the Israeli regime unleashed the war on besieged enclave.
The minister stated Washington has made several strategic mistakes, particularly in West Asia. Under the current circumstances, the minister added, the United States has sent messages to Iran out of desperation and fear.
Ashtiani said the Americans along with the Israelis are now in a quagmire trying to get themselves out.
Iranian officials rejected that Tehran had instructed armed groups in Iraq and Syria to launch missile and drone strikes on American troops stationed in the illegal bases in West Asia, insisting that they were acting on their own. They said that no group takes orders from Tehran, adding the Islamic Republic has no proxies in the region.
US forces have been attacked dozens of times throughout Iraq and Syria since mid-October 17, Pentagon has announced. It also confirmed that several American troops have been diagnosed with "traumatic brain injury" following the attacks.
There are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of, what Washington claims to be, a fighting force against Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS). The US has kept the forces there, although, the Arab countries and their allies defeated the terrorist group in late 2017.
Tehran has repeatedly called on Washington to stop plundering Syria’s national resources and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab country, urging foreign occupation forces and their mercenaries to leave the war-ravaged country.
Hours after the Hamas military operation against Israel in early October, American and European officials promised rock-solid and unwavering support to Tel Aviv. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several others European leaders visited Tel Aviv to show their support for Israel.
Tehran says the Western leaders' trips to the occupied territories are aimed at giving artificial respiration to dying Israel and demonstrate the US' and Europe's concerns over the downfall of the Zionist regime.
The US has pledged unwavering support for Israel as its military pummels Gaza with bombardment. Washington has announced it will provide Tel Aviv with everything it needed.
Washington has made major shows of force in the Middle East since early October, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean, as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 sailors and marines. US officials have claimed the moves were meant to deter outside actors from taking part in the Gaza war.
Iranian officials say the United States is waging a war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through Israel, and cautions that the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. They stress death of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is the outcome of the US massive military equipment’s shipments to the occupied territories, calling for trial of Israeli and American officials for their crimes against the Palestinian people.
READ MORE: Iranian President Says Gaza Carnage Result of US Military Support for Israel
On October 7, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land, sea and air. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,400 and injured over 5,000, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.
Following the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 9,800 Palestinians, including at least 4,000 children and over 3,000 women, and wounding over 26,000 others, and levelling entire neighbourhoods.
Tel Aviv has ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, saying it would halt its supply of electricity, food, water and fuel. Israel’s military has also ordered 1.1 million people living in Northern Gaza to evacuate their homes, amid signs it is set to ramp up its offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv will not agree to a ceasefire with the Palestinian movement Hamas because it would mean surrender. He added Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip has entered its third stage which includes expanding ground operations in the enclave.
The bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has pushed 1.5 million people out of their homes.
The Gaza Health Ministry has also confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”.
The UN agencies have warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.
Iranian officials say the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. They caution that if diplomatic efforts to stop Israeli relentless bombardment and prevent a ground offensive on Gaza are unsuccessful, there is a risk of the conflict escalating uncontrollably, with multiple regional players joining the fight.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, where some 2 million people live in an area of 140 square miles. It has been almost completely cut off from the rest of the world for nearly 17 years. More than half of its population lives in poverty and is food insecure, with nearly 80% of its population relying on humanitarian assistance.
Tehran says the history of the apartheid regime is full of assassinations, massacre, torture and killing of Palestinian kids, and described Tel Aviv regime's atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say the Tel Aviv regime has been struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement and scores of other inhumane moves.
